This invention relates to a gaming machine. More particularly, the invention relates to a gaming machine and to an improvement in features of such a gaming machine.
Players who regularly play gaming machines quickly tire of particular games and therefore it is necessary for manufacturers of these machines to develop innovative game features which add interest to the games. In so doing, it is hoped to keep players amused and therefore willing to continue playing the game as well as to attract new players. Also, with the growth that has occurred in the gaming machine market, there is intense competition between manufacturers to supply various existing and new venues. When selecting a supplier of gaming machines, the operator of a venue will often pay close attention to the popularity of various games with their patrons. Therefore, gaming machine manufacturers are keen to devise games and ancillary arrangements which are popular with the players as a mechanism for improving sales, retaining customers, attracting new customers and to ensure that customers continue playing the gaming machines of that particular venue.
According to the invention, there is provided a gaming machine having a display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means, the game control means being arranged to play a game wherein one or more random events are caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event results, the machine awards a prize which is displayed on a meter showing the paying of the prize, the gaming machine being characterized in that, upon the occurrence of a winning event, the control means causes, in addition to incrementing the meter, an award indicating sequence to be generated, the award indicating sequence generating, in a discernible format, outputs relating to payment of the prize to be paid as a result of the winning event, the outputs changing during payment of the prize with a rate of change being dependent on, and varying with, a size of the prize.
The outputs may include a visual output as well as an audible output. A type and volume of the audible output which is emitted may vary depending on the rate at which a payout is made, the size of the win, or as a result of some other input.
The visual output may be a screen animation which is represented in a graphical format. At least one feature of the animation, as well as the audio output, may vary during payment of the win.
By xe2x80x9cgraphical formatxe2x80x9d is meant that an image is displayed which indicates in a manner, other than incrementing digits, the prize paid to the player as a result of the win and may be provided in addition to a conventional win meter of the gaming machine.
The feature of the animation which varies may, for example, be a position of an indicator of the animation and/or a size of the animation.
In one embodiment, the animation may occur on a screen of a base game. The base game may be a spinning reel game having a plurality of reel strips, the animation occurring on at least one of the reel strips in respect of at least one special symbol carried by said at least one reel strip. Preferably, the, or each, symbol is a special symbol such that when a plurality of them are displayed together, they trigger the award indicating sequence.
In another embodiment, the animation may occur as a second screen feature.
The award indicating sequence may be initiated by way of an interactive display. The screen of the gaming machine may thus be a touch screen. Upon a winning condition occurring, a particular representation may be displayed. The player may then touch the screen over such representation to cause activation of the award indicating sequence being an animation of the representation.
The meter may be an incrementing digit win meter which is incremented contemporaneously with the award indicating sequence while the award indicating sequence is occurring.